I Love You Too, Lal Mirch
by magnipisika16
Summary: I love you, you love her, and that's all okay with me.  Watch how complicated Lal and Colonello's love story can be, EVEN in an alternate universe . . . .


**Hey there! Allow me to thank those people who read, favorite, and reviewed my first ColonelloXLal fanfic, "Rain"! I dedicate this to ALL of you!**

**Oh, just a little reminder: The story's AU (alternate universe). Lal and Colonello are students here, and, as usual, Lal is in a higher year. That is all! Enjoy!**

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><p>"So what do you think, kora?"<p>

"I think you're stupid," she replied without looking at him. "As always."

Colonello threw his head back, making a small whimpering sound. He can accept any rude remarks from his senior, but not right now. The subject is too urgent for them to play "Yin and Yang".

"Besides," she continued. "Why are you asking me this? Just when did I become your vending machine for love advices?"

"Because I know how well you are with problems like these, kora. And . . . because it'd be really embarrassing if I asked the other manly friends of mine."

Lal Mirch grunted as she stood up and walked towards a shelf filled with books, scanning through their titles.

"Aw, come on, Lal," Colonello pleaded. "Just answer my question, and I'll leave you alone, I promise, kora."

"I already did, didn't I?"

"Not that question, kora!"

Lal didn't reply. She just went on with her business, getting books and scanning through their pages. Colonello sighed, stood up, and walked towards her.

"Are you refusing to help me because you're jealous, kora?" he whispered towards her ear. Lal, out of sudden surprise from his warm breath against her neck, swung the book she was holding and hit Colonello, sending him flying to a vacant wall.

"Don't you dare do that again!" she cried, blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry, kora," he replied weakly, rubbing his head. "But, you weren't listening. You know I wouldn't go here unannounced if I'm not desperate, kora."

Lal just stared at him, silently agreeing to what he said. It was true that Colonello would only defy her rules about visiting only when he needs her the most, just like now. But for him to ask her about his love problem was particularly ridiculous because 1) she doesn't know anything (emphasis on "anything") about love, and 2) she doesn't give a damn. For her, love is only for those who have enough time to do stupid things with their partners-something which she lacks, but Colonello seems to have loads of.

However, there's still the fact that Colonello really needed her. Even if it was for a meaningless cause, he needed her, and for what were all those times they spent together if she won't devote some to someone who's close enough to be her best friend? Besides, he did promise he'd leave her alone.

"Fine," she said, coming near him. "I'll help, but I'm not guaranteeing that my advice can fix anything here. Now let's see if I understood your case . . ."

Here's what really happened: Colonello has a girlfriend named Alauria and they've been together for only a month, but Colonello claims that she's "as perfect as a test paper with no red x-marks, kora". Now, for some strange reason Lal could not comprehend, some girl from somewhere came up to him and confessed her feelings for him. Colonello, being the follower of the "one-woman" rule, politely turned her down and explained that he was in love with someone else. The girl, being a poor victim of a drunken cupid's drugged arrow, took it too seriously and poured all her anger towards Colonello's lady-love. That's where the problem started. Every now and then, Alauria would receive death-threats and rude gestures from her and a bunch of her friends.

"I just can't bear seeing my Alauria hurt because of me, kora!" Colonello slightly wailed after Lal repeated his story from awhile ago. "I really can't!"

Lal slapped Colonello, attempting to stop his pathetic wailing. Fortunately, Colonello did.

"Here's the thing," she started. "There's nothing more you can do about it."

"I was kind of expecting something more than that, kora."

"You didn't let me finish, moron. What I meant by that is that the more you notice her every action towards Alauria, the more thrilled she gets in continuing it, seeing it as a perfect way to get your attention."

"So what am I supposed to do then? Ignore her and her antics, kora?"

"Precisely."

"B-but . . ."

"If she realizes that it does affect neither you nor Alauria, then she'll leave you alone. Simple as that."

Colonello blinked warily at her, letting her words sink in. That was actually a brilliant plan, and it's so logical it just might work.

"Thanks, Lal," he finally whispered. Lal shrugged and stood up; looking troubled all of a sudden. Colonello noticed that.

"Hey, is something wrong, kora?" he asked, standing up as well.

"N-nothing . . . It's just that," She bit her lip. "Forget it. It's stupid."

"I doubt that," he said, pulling her shoulder to make her face him. "Tell me, kora."

Lal sighed heavily, and then met his gleaming blue eyes.

"You seem to be seriously in love with this Alauria, aren't you?"

Colonello suddenly chuckled.

"What kind of question is that, kora? Of course, I do! Why else would I risk getting hit by you?" He looked at her troubled face once more, and the smile on his countenance faded. "Hey, stop that, kora. You look like you're about to do something weird or unusual."

"Maybe I would, maybe I won't," was her reply, much to Colonello's surprise. "It depends if you would allow me to."

"What?"

"Do you?"

"I-I guess, kora . . ."

Without much hesitation, Lal gently wrapped her arms around his body, and rested her head against his chest.

"L-Lal? W-What the-"

"I'm happy that you finally found someone you could love and who can immediately say that she loves you back. I can still remember those times when I was the one you tried to express your love with. It took quite a long time before I realized that I, somehow, felt the same way. But, I guess it's too late for me, isn't it?"

A part of Lal anticipated for Colonello to hug her back, but he didn't.

"I love you, Colonello," she continued. "Even if you can't love me back the same way. Just promise me you'll love Alauria truly, and that's good enough for me."

Colonello was speechless. He didn't know how he should react. What Lal had just said will take anyone by surprise.

"Um," he mumbled. Lal didn't look at him to see his troubled face, but she did let him go. For real.

Colonello opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He just looked away, keeping mum all the time. Lal was the one who broke the silence.

"You don't have to say anything, you know."

The Italian looked at her one last time, stepped back, tried one last time to say something, failed, turned around, and walked towards the door. Lal watched all of that through the corner of her eyes, and, it was all ok with her.

Colonello's gone. He may not be coming back.

And, ironically, she helped in making it that way.

So, what right does she have to even complain?

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><p><em>Riiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!<em>

Lal draped her blanket over her head, getting irritated with the incessant ringing from her phone.

_Riiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"Shut up," she groaned, turning in her bed.

_Riiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"Shut the hell up, stupid phone!"

_Riiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"_**PUT IT IN VOICEMAIL, YOU SICK EXCUSE FOR A COMMUNICATION DEVICE!**_" she cried, throwing a pillow towards the phone.

Beep!

"Uh, hey, kora," came a voice from the phone. Lal recognized it right away.

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you again when I promised I won't," Colonello said in a cracked-tone. "It's just that . . . I don't know who else I could say this to other than you, kora. You remember Alauria, right? Well, she . . ." His voice cracked once more. "Broke up with me, kora."

Lal sat up, slightly surprised at the fact that she wasn't surprised.

"Don't worry, though, kora. She's fine. We're both fine, kora. I guess she got scared with those death threats, and now that I'm out of her life, she'll feel secure. That leaves me here, wishing you'd pick up." She heard him sniffle. "Hold on, I'll call you back."

_Click._

Lal just stared at the phone, thinking whether she'll call him, wait for his call, or just unplug the phone and forget all about it. Before she can do anything, the phone rang again, but she didn't pick it up at all.

_Beep!_

"Hey, Lal," he greeted, a little cheerfully. "I see you're still not picking up, kora. That's okay, though. Want to hear something funny?" His voice suddenly dropped. "I lied.

"It wasn't really Alauria who broke up with me. I broke up with her. I guess she wasn't really my 'forever girl', kora. Don't worry, though. What you said had nothing to do about it. It just happened, and, somehow, it was fine for me, kora."

The indigo-haired woman sighed. Of course it was all her fault.

"I've been meaning to ask you, kora. About what you said. Did you mean all of that, kora? I'm pretty sure you did. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to respond back then. I was a little tongue-tied back then. Though, I'm not tongue-tied now, kora."

Nevertheless, she climbed out of bed, and walk towards the phone.

"Lal, when you said that you loved me, I only had one thing in mind, kora."

She reached for the phone's plug, attempting to pull it.

"They were just a few stupid words, kora, and up until now, I still think you'd find them meaningless. Nevertheless, I want you to hear them."

She couldn't though, so she picked up the phone instead, and listened as Colonello slowly mouthed the words "I love you too, Lal Mirch" to the mouthpiece, into Lal Mirch's ears.

**-FIN-**

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><p><strong>Yeah, I know. They're a bit OOC. Poor performance in my part, but hey, I tried my best. . Anyway, I'd like to hear your opinion, too! Please, please, PLEASE review!<strong>

**Now for my favorite line in the story:**

**"**_**PUT**__**IT IN VOICEMAIL, YOU SICK EXCUSE FOR A COMMUNICATION DEVICE!**_**!" **

**Thanks for reading, though! LoveLots~3**


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